477 According+to+the+US+Government+Center+for+Disease+Control+%28CDC%29%3a%0a%0a%2a+The+percentage+of+children+and+adolescents+who+are+defined+as+overweight+has+more+than+doubled+since+the+early+1970s%2e+%0a%2a+About+13+percent+of+children+and+adolescents+are+now+seriously+overweight%2e+%0a%0aAlthough+the+good+news+is+that+the+percentage+of+children+facing+health+problems+associated+with+being+overweight+or+obese+is+not+as+high+as+with+adults%2c+the+increasing+trends+should+alarm+us+all%2e%0a%0aRepeating+an+opinion+shared+on+PELINKS4U+last+month%2c+overweight+and+obese+children+face+much+more+than+threats+to+their+health%2e+These+children+experience+limited+social+interactions+and+poor+health+clearly+impacts+opportunities+for+intellectual+development%2e+It%27s+vital+that+all+physical+educators+accept+their+responsibility+for+doing+more+to+promote+children%27s+health%2e%0a%0aUnfortunately%2c+we+fear+this+responsibility+is+being+mis%2dcommunicated+when+so+many+PE+teachers+continue+to+simply+%26quot%3bforce%26quot%3b+children+to+do+boring+and+painful+physical+activities%2e+%0a%0aWe+need+to+remember+that+children%27s+activity+patterns+differ+from+adults%2e+Adults+are+often+happy+to+run%2c+walk%2c+bike+or+lift+weights+for+long+periods%2e+Children+often+don%27t+find+this+kind+of+exercise+motivating%2e+%0a%0aThe+measure+of+our+success+is+not+what+we+can+make+children+do+when+they+are+in+our+classes%2e+What%27s+important+is+what+they+do+when+they+are+NOT+in+our+classes%2e%0a%0aClearly+with+more+than+60%25+of+adults+overweight+we+haven%27t+been+very+successful+in+the+past%21+We+can+of+course+argue+that+students+are+only+in+our+classes+for+brief+periods+of+school+time%2e+That%27s+true%2e+But+it+also+raises+questions+about+what+we+are+doing+while+we+do+have+them%21%0a%0aToo+frequently+we+observe+a+rehash+of+curriculum+choices+that+worse+than+failing+to+inspire+children+to+be+physically+active%2c+actually+TURN+THEM+OFF%21+Children+leave+these+classes+with+a+desire+to+avoid+similar+experiences+and+hence+a+future+life+of+physical+inactivity%2e%0a%0aThe+PELINKS4U+Staff+would+be+interested+to+hear+your+opinion+on+the+above%2e+Please+post+your+thoughts%2c+comments%2c+ideas%2c+etc%2e+below%2e+Thanks%2e%0a%0aPELINKS4U+Staff
483 I+feel+that+this+is+an+amazing+article+and+it+is+interesting+to+see+that+some+physical+educators+are+still+teaching+the+curriculum+of+20+years+ago%2e++I+am+a+new+physical+edcuator+and+I+feel+that+children+shouldn%27t+be+forced+to+do+anything+but+is+should+be+brought+to+their+attention+about+the+things+that+they+can+do+to+stay+fit%2e++Give+them+alternatives+such+as+instead+of+running+the+mile%2c+go+and+walk+a+mile+or+start+out+slow+and+gradually+work+toward+that+mile%2e++Walk+with+a+parent+or+a+group+of+friends%2e++The+children+not+only+need+the+education+but+the+teachers+also+need+the+new+trends+and+ideas%2e++Thank+you+for+such+a+wonderful+article%2c+I+wish+we+could+get+it+out+to+more+people%2e
488 I+want+to+know+if+there+are+grants+to+be+obtained+for+chilren%27s+physical+fitness+program%2e++It+is+important+for+us+to+look+at+the+younger+age+of+childrn+to+prevent+this%2e++I+think+it+is+needed+beginning+at+age+five+and+up%2e++We+are+missing+these+children%2e%0aThank+you%2e%0aMyrna+Bourgeois
489 As+a+physical+educator+with+almost+35+years+in+the+field%2c+I+wonder+why+people+use+the+BMI%2e++I+am+5%2710%26quot%3b+tall%2c+weigh+175+lbs%2e%2c+and+have+trained+with+weights+for+over+40+years%2e++My+body+fat+percentage+is+under+12%2c+but+my+BMI+puts+me+into+the+overweight+category%2e%0a%09The+point+that+I%27m+trying+to+make+is+that+the+BMI+doen%27t+take+muscle+mass+into+consideration%2c+and+that+is+wrong%2e%0a%09%09%09%09%09%09Bill
494 I+am+in+total+agreement+that+we+need+to+take+a+closer+look+at+the+%26quot%3bforced+running%26quot%3b+programs+in+Physical+Education+programs%2e+I+used+to+be+a+big+proponent+of+running+programs%2c+but+have+since+changed+my+perspective%2e+When+I+poll+my+Physical+Education+students+about+distance+running%2c+perhaps+10%25+of+them+enjoy+it+and+want+more%2e%2e%2ethese+are+the+cross+country+runners+of+the+future%2e+Clearly%2c+the+majority+of+students+would+rather+being+playing+an+activity+that+they+consider+more+fun%2eIt%27s+about+choices%2d%2dthere+are+plenty+of+aerobic+activities+to+choose+from%2d%2dand+the+more+we+allow+our+students+to+choose+the+physical+activities+they+enjoy+doing%2c+the+more+physically+active%2c+healthy+adults+we+are+going+to+have+in+the+future%2e